


Late Summer

by Kalloway



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 21:11:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18786283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalloway/pseuds/Kalloway
Summary: Ryoma and Scarlet slip away from the festival to talk for a bit.





	Late Summer

**Author's Note:**

> 31 Days, May 06/Rien n'est plus doux au coeur plein de choses funèbres, et sur qui dès longtemps descendent les frimas, ô blafardes saisons, reines de nos climats / Nothing is sweeter to a gloomy heart on which the hoar-frost has long been falling, than the permanent aspect of your pale shadows

"It's a beautiful night, isn't it?"

"It is," Ryoma agreed. The air was warm and the sky clear. Away from the lanterns and festival lights, the stars were bright above them. They'd walked a bit since she'd found him; somehow she'd managed a red kimono... Ryoma didn't quite want to ask, though he suspected his mothers might have had something to do with it.

"How about here?" Scarlet asked as they turned a corner and came out in a small, quiet park. A stone lantern had been lit and was burning off to one side, but the space was otherwise unoccupied. There were a few large stones chipped down to benches; others looked like they'd be popular for children to climb on. Ryoma didn't recognize the place, though he suspected he would during the day and without his companion.

"It's fine." He would have preferred to take her somewhere farther, quieter, more private, but he understood there were limits to these things. This was enough.

There was a stone-turned-bench beneath a trio of old, heavy trees long past their spring blooms. Ryoma sat first, and then, considering, relaxed an upturned hand on his thigh. Scarlet laughed and sat beside him. That close, he could even smell her, always like flowers... She put her hand in his, weaving their fingers together...

Ryoma didn't squeeze. There was no need to ruin it just yet.

"How has the year been?" Scarlet asked. Ryoma ached to shift, to put an arm around her, to stroke fingers through her hair, to lean and kiss her and do everything he should have done years before.

"Good," Ryoma replied. It was true enough. "Little tension with other nations, little tension within. There was a short period in the fall where odd hats were in fashion."

Scarlet laughed. "An entire year and that's the most exciting thing that's happened?"

"Likely not, but I have an entire year to think through!" Ryoma echoed her laughter, though. The hats had been quite memorable.

"You know I'll be coming," Scarlet teased. "I'm sure you could take notes."

There was a long silence. Ryoma didn't ask the unspoken question. Instead, he told her about the hats and how the fashion had spread from Nestra and swept both Nohr and Hoshido.

Beside him, Scarlet smiled.

"Is anyone still wearing them? I'll look tomorrow... Though I'm not sure I'll be able to tell the difference from some of the festival attire..."

Ryoma chuckled. "We can walk around a bit and if I see one, I'll quietly point it out to you."

"Reminds me of when we were all together and passing around the things we made or found," Scarlet said. "I miss that. I miss you. And..."

"And?" Ryoma questioned. He missed her every day, which is why she came, he knew.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm at peace... And you don't have to worry; I'll come every year until you join me."

Ryoma squeezed her hand, fingers passing through what wasn't physically there. If he'd had his gloves off, he knew the space where Scarlet appeared would be cool. But he was used to it, all these years later, and the three days she came haunting near the end of every summer.

"Then we can both rest, peacefully, together," Ryoma agreed. It sounded fair. He had too much to do, for the time being. Even this time away was a luxury.

Scarlet giggled.

"Nah. Then we can haunt Takumi!"


End file.
